Welcome to Precinct One!
If you’ve been to Houston, odds are you have spent some time in Precinct One. If you arrived here by plane, both Hobby Airport and IAH are in Precinct One. Been to a sports game? Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park, NRG, and the BBVA Compass Stadium are all in Precinct One. Going to school in Houston? St. Thomas, Rice, TSU, and the University of Houston’s downtown and main campuses all fall under Precinct One. Haven’t spent time in Precinct One yet? Let’s change that!
Precinct One is full of rich history and strong community.
Historic leaders like Barbara Jordan, who was the first Black woman elected to the Texas state senate and the first Black Texan in Congress, and former Congressman Mickey Leland, are both from Precinct One, and you can learn more about each of them respectively at our Barbara Jordan Park and Community Center and our Mickey Leland Memorial Park and memorial statue at Hermann Park. American Journalist Dan Rather is from the Houston Heights neighborhood, and the talented singer and performer Beyoncé is from our very own Third Ward.
Each one of our neighborhoods has something to offer.
Historic Fifth Ward has some of the oldest churches in our area, with six that are over 100 years old. In the 1930s, Fifth Ward had over 40 black-owned businesses and is still a proud and tight-knit community with community gardens and regular celebrations. Third Ward is home to Project Row Houses, which was founded in 1993 by community activists and is an entirely unique project that combines local art, historic preservation, and community development. The Montrose neighborhood was ripe with the counterculture movements of the 1960s and 1970s and became the epicenter of the LGBTQ community in Houston. Montrose was, and still is in many ways, a place for artists and a unique neighborhood. The Menil Collection, a free museum with over 17,000 pieces of art, is located in Montrose. There are so many great and historic neighborhoods in Precinct One, and we are proud to serve each and every one of them.
Home to over 1 million people, Precinct One is one of the most diverse areas in the nation.
There is a ton of public art on display in Precinct One that demonstrates these different cultures. Hermann Park’s “Art in the Park” offers a number of contemporary art installations for the public to enjoy. At the University of Houston Downtown, you can find a beautiful mural named “Salt Marsh” by John Biggers. And the popular “Houston is Inspired” mural by the famous artist Gonzo can also be found in Precinct One. And the art, like the people, is always changing and growing. In the summer of 2020, when the nation was shaken by powerful marches for racial justice, activists in Harris County created the striking Juneteenth Street Mural in Independence Heights and the Black Lives Matter Street Mural in Acres Homes, two neighborhoods in Precinct One.
Need something to do while you’re here?
You can check out the county Commissioner Ellis style by renting a bike at one of Houston’s BCycle stations and seeing the sites on two wheels. With how big Precinct One is, there’s a lot to take in. From Buffalo Bayou in the heart of downtown to Lake Houston, where you can put in your boat or spend a morning fishing, there’s never a shortage of things to do here in Precinct One.
Explore and see what Precinct One has to offer.